• Saeima amended the Criminal Law provision on denial of genocide, crimesagainst humanity and peace or war crimes

Yesterday, the Saeima approved in the final reading amendments to the Criminal Law provision, which envisions criminal liability for gross belittling of genocide, crimes against humanity and peace, as well as war crimes against Latvia. The amendments introduce mentioning of the USSR and Nazi Germany to already existing provision. The new wording of the Article 74.1 of the Criminal Law envisions: “For public glorification of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace or war crimes or for public glorification, denial, justification or gross belittling of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace, or war crimes against Latvian Republic and its residents can be punished with up to five years of imprisonment or with short-term imprisonment or with community service or with pecuniary penalty.” According to one of the authors of the amendments MP Andrejs Judins (Unity), these norms clearly strengthen regulation against persons who justify crimes of mentioned political regimes. Mr Judins also noted that this regulation equated the USSR and Nazi Germany crimes. Neatkariga, Latvijas Avize, Diena, Vesti Segodnya

• Diena: government ordered a secret study about integration in Latvia
• Security Police detained Latvian National Bolshevik Ajo Benes
• Saeima’s Consolidation Committee discussed how to improve preparation of teachers of the ethnic schools for reform 2018

Diena reports that the government ordered a secret study about integration in Latvia. The study will discover the attitude of Russian speaking residents towards Latvia. According to a representative of the government, information about the study is secret because it is closely connected with the state security. Results of the study will be available publicly as far as security concerns would allow it.  Integration expert Deniss Hanovs criticizes such approach stressing that information about who will conduct the study and its results should be publicly available. Mr Hanovs also does not agree to the state integration program according to which basis for integration are Latvian language and culture. He believes that the basis should be civil and democratic values because language could also be used by disloyal persons.

Yesterday, the Security Police (SP) detained Latvian National Bolshevik Ajo Benes. The SP initiated criminal proceeding against Mr. Benes for calls to violent overthrow of Latvia’s state power and liquidation of Latvia’s state independence. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports about a session of the Saeima’s Consolidation Committee discussing how to improve preparation of teachers of the ethnic schools before planned language reform in schools in 2018.  The Minister of Education Ina Druviete promised to introduce improvements for teacher’s training, however the Ministery has not elaborated specific plan yet. The Minister also said that there is a need to merge Latvian and Russian language schools in future.

• MP Raivis Dzintars published a statement in which he calls to understand Russian residents
• Russian Union of Latvia plans to conduct another picket for education in native language
• Representative of the State Language Centre Antons Kurstitis criticizes the fact that deputies learn Latvian language using state budget funds
• Old-Orthodox Pomorian Church criticizes the draft Introduction to the Constitution

Vesti Segodnya reports that the MP Raivis Dzintars (nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM) published a statement in which he calls to understand Russian residents and to accept that they are different. He called to respect Russians and try to persuade them using different arguments. R. Dzintars also believes that the foundation of the society consolidation is growth of the living standards.

The Russian Union of Latvia plans to conduct another picket for education in native language and against political censorship and ban over broadcasts of one of the Russian TV channels in Latvia. The picket will be held on 15 May near the Saeima. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the State Language Centre found that some deputies of Daugavpils City Council have insufficient state language proficiency. The deputies were given six months to improve their language proficiency and the local government granted EUR 6,900 for this purpose. Representative of the State Language Centre Antons Kurstitis believes that such situation when residents pay for state language courses for deputies is not normal.

Central council of the Old-Orthodox Pomorian Church in Latvia came with a statement criticizing the draft Introduction to the Constitution of Latvia. The Council believes that the draft Introduction replaces reasonable and comprehensive notion of “Latvian nation” envisioned by the “forefathers” of the Constitution with notion of “ethnic Latvian nation” which contradicts the basic text of the Constitution and does not promote consolidation of the society. Vesti Segodnya

• Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma: only subjects related to language, culture and history should be taught in native language
• Latvijas Avize reports about life in Zilupe – town on the border with Russia
• Vesti Segodnya reports about situation in Daugavpils

The Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma in an interview with Latvijas Avize stated that only subjects related to language, culture and history should be thought in the native language of students in national minority schools. Mrs Straujuma stressed that the Education Law will not be amended, however, real proportions of state language and minority language will change in favour of state language. Vesti Segodnya 

Latvijas Avize reports about life in Zilupe – town on the border with Russia. According to the interviewed town’s residents, there are just few ethnic Latvians in town, however, they stress that it does not mean that Zilupe’s residents are not Latvian patriots. The most common communication language in Zilupe is Russian, but inside family people use also Latgalian language.

Vesti Segodnya reports about situation in Daugavpils (city in the Eastern part of Latvia where the majority of residents are Russian speakers). With the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and Crimea, foreign media reported about the city as about the next possible “Crimea” which might request for separation from Latvia. Commenting such media reports Daugavpils’ residents criticized the foreign media for distortion of information. According to the director of the Russian House in Daugavpils, the whole problem was started by the journalists from the UK, who abused the fact that on the day of their visit, a Russian folk holiday was taking place: the journalists took footage of folk culture groups in folk costumes and added the thesis of Daugavpils as the next Crimea. The director rejects this as "nonsense" and when interviewed by other foreign journalists also asks them not to incite Russophobia and hysteria, or artificially divide the people of Latvia, explaining that people in Daugavpils live in completely different historical conditions than people in Crimea. Young people interviewed by the newspaper also deny that city residents would support separation of Daugavpils and reunion with Russia and do not believe that there are residents who consider that their president is Putin. While rejecting separatism accusations, some of the interviewed also highlighted problems of the city – decline of industries and unemployment, the lack of guarantees for the status of Russian language and education in native language, and also stated that the government should not ignore these problems but to make a step towards the interests of its Russian-speaking people.

• Newspapers report about celebration of 9 May in Latvia
• Latvijas Avize interviewed young people who took part in the 9 May celebrations in Riga
• Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis made racist remark towards Latvian national Bolshevik Ajo Beness

Newspapers report about celebration of 9 May (unofficial for Latvia Victory Day or the end of the WWII) in Latvia. About 20 events devoted to 9 May were held in Latvia but the biggest celebration was organised in Riga. 100,000 to 150,000 people according to different sources took part in it. It was also attended by the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs who stressed in his speech that the veterans did not distinguish themselves into ethnic Latvians, Russians or Ukrainians and therefore won the Nazism. The Mayor also said that Latvia is our home and all residents regardless of their ethnic belonging should cherish it. Although the organizers of the celebration decided not to distribute St. George ribbons this year, representatives of some political organizations took the initiative and distributed the ribbons.  About 8,000 people took part in the 9 May procession in Daugavpils. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize interviewed young people who took part in the 9 May celebrations in Riga on the reasons why they attend it. All the interviewed said that they came to commemorate the veterans. On the question about Latvian occupation by the USSR, some young people did not agree that Latvia was occupied. They also said that they see connection between spread of Nazism and current events in Ukraine.  

Diena reports that the Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis in an interview to one of the TV channels, commenting activities of a Latvian dark skinned National-Bolshevik Ajo Beness in Ukraine and possible deprivation of Latvia citizenship stated that “if Latvia would own Tobago we could send him there.”  Tobago was Latvian colony in 17th century. The newspaper notes that such indirect racist jokes are inadmissible for such high state officials.  Later, Mr Kozlovskis apologized for his words.